While we were away, it wasn’t exactly the biggest news week in the history of boxing, but there were indeed some developments deserving “Quick Jabs” treatment. So before we bring you a couple more features to close out the year — including an interview with Tom Hauser about his newest book (and other topics) set to run tomorrow — howsabout I unload what thoughts there are to unload.

It’s playing out somewhat like folk expected on the Oscar De La Hoya front: Word is increasingly coming out about the weight trouble De La Hoya had for the Manny Pacquiao fight, and there are hints of a fight with Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. in 2009. I said immediately after Pacquiao-De La Hoya that I wouldn’t mind seeing De La Hoya in against an aged or second-tier opponent before retirement, and Chavez foots that bill. I honestly thought, just watching the Pacquiao fight, that De La Hoya had killed any chance he had of winning by coming in at 145 pounds and only gaining two overnight. But De La Hoya’s partner at Golden Boy Promotions, Richard Schaefer, said that weight gain never happened — De La Hoya just wore clothes for the second weigh-in. De La Hoya-Chavez Jr. is about the only saleable fight for Oscar, because of the angle of Oscar beating Chavez’ dad and because Junior ain’t exactly a world-beater. And they’ve got to throw Junior in against a live body at some point; this is the most money he could make against a live body, and he might win, depending on how lasting the effects of the Pacquiao beating were…

On the effects of that beating: It was a lonely world out there for me in the immediate aftermath of the fight, when I argued to give De La Hoya a bit of a pass for quitting against Pacquiao. But now Maxboxing’s Steve Kim, not someone who has a soft spot for De La Hoya, has issued much the same pass. Here’s what he said in a column suggesting New Year’s resolutions for people in boxing: “The Fans – Stop ripping Oscar for not coming off his stool after the 8th round of his bout with Manny Pacquiao: Folks, you would’ve done the same thing in his position. Yeah, I know he promised to fight for the honor of the Mexicans, and that this was personal. But he was getting awfully banged up and there are people who worked his corner that believe he suffered a concussion in the early rounds of that fight. In fact, if you listen closely, the ringside commissioner asks him if he was dizzy and if he had a headache. Meanwhile, in the other corner, Roach was telling his charge to finish him (that had me recalling the famous ‘sweep the leg’ line in ‘Karate Kid’). So tell me, you don’t think Oscar made the prudent decision?”…

Ring magazine has made the decision that Antonio Margarito-Shane Mosley should not be for the welterweight (147 lbs.) lineal championship belt, and while SC makes a good case for why they should, I’m siding with Ring on this one. There is value to championship belts not being vacant, but I’d rather have a belt won in a showdown between the legit #1 and #2 ranked men (or, per the magazine’s policy, sometimes the #3) than have vacancies filled under more lenient measures. If you check out “The Ring Flashback” section of each magazine, you’ll see that vacant belts are no uncommon occurence throughout history. Boxing fans must have once survived with vacant belts; I think they could (and in fact continue to) again…

Showtime has a pretty good double-header scheduled for March 14: Fernando Montiel-Nonito Donaire at junior bantamweight (115 lbs.) and Ulises Solis-Brian Viloria (junior flyweight, 108 lbs). Both have great potential as exciting fights. And even though they’re going up against a goofy Chad Dawson-Antonio Tarver (light heavyweight, 175 lbs.) rematch on HBO, I wish it wasn’t another one of these scenarios where there are dueling cards that weekend. I don’t know who’s to blame and never do, but really: There have to have been two separate weekends they could have made these two fight cards happen. By the by, Donaire will be trained by bantamweight (118 lbs.) Gerry Penalosa for the fight, which is an interesting choice. Penalosa surely knows a great deal about boxing, but he’s not a trainer. I wonder if Donaire’s attempts not to show up his father — one of the reasons he says he chose Penalosa to replace his father — hasn’t become too overbearing a goal. This is arguably the first or second-most important fight of his career, and I would think having a qualified trainer in the ring should trump family pride…

OK, so maybe rumors of Israel Vazquez’ retirement are exaggerated. He’s planning a possible move to featherweight (126 lbs.) for June, unless he can get him a little Marco Antonio Barrera or belt unification bout at 122 pounds. I don’t know who awaits him at 126 that would make him that much cash and Barrera is fighting at lightweight (135 lbs.) these days, so I’m guessing a bout with Juan Manuel Lopez at 122 is his likeliest course if he recovers from these eye surgeries….

BoxingTalk says Paul Williams-Winky Wright is more or less a done deal for April on HBO at middleweight (160 lbs.) and I’m all for it. If it happens, it’s a great crossroads fight between the young, busy star-to-be against a big-name, precise veteran. Of course, these two men have had their share of fights fall through, so I wouldn’t bet on it until after it’s signed and announced…

Wladimir Klitschko and Chris Arreola is on, too, apparently, for May. I’ve lobbied against throwing the young heavyweight, Arreola, against the prime vetetran, Klitschko, in this case, but here’s what Henry Ramirez, Arreola’s trainer has to say: “You don’t turn down a title fight, you just don’t. And do you think Chris will have a better chance against Klitschko in two years? Chris is motivated for this fight and he’s going to weigh between 235 to 240 and we’re coming to win it. Chris is going after Wladimir, he’s not going to stink the place out like Rahman.” Actually, I do think Chris would have a better chance against Klitschko in two years. He DOES need more seasoning. And while I understand the reasoning on not turning down a title fight, it’s short-term thinking. Long-term, Arreola would be better off waiting…

Heavyweight Nicolay Valuev’s team says they have no plans for a rematch with Evander Holyfield, and I say good riddance. Usually, I’d be lobbying for a rematch in this situation, since I believe Holyfield deserved the “W.” But he only deserved it a little, in my view, and the first fight was hideous. Incidentally, it’s come out that a number of writers ringside — mainly foreign writers — had the fight close or Valuev winning. Hauser said the ones he talked to apparently weren’t influenced by the U.S. broadcast, where the television announcers felt Holyfield had been robbed. Coincidentally, I watched a foreign broadcast. Whatever the case, it is yet more evidence that there were not as many disgusting rip-offs this year as there were last year, if Holyfield-Valuev is the worst the sport can muster…

Ivan Calderon’s cleared for a February return where his opponent is likely to be Cesar Canchila. That’s an acceptable fight for the junior flyweight champ, but can anyone tell me why Calderon-Solis isn’t happening?…

Enzo Maccarinelli is flirting with getting into mixed martial arts, and aside from the usual objections I have to boxers playing footsie with MMA and vice versa, I’m really just annoyed that yet another qualified cruiserweight (200 lbs.) isn’t content being a cruiserweight boxer…

ESPN’S Dan Rafael is handing out his awards at the boxing website (link to your right) and he throws out a couple honorable mentions for Fighter of the Year that I think are deserving and that I didn’t mention: Tomasz Adamek and Juan Manuel Lopez. Strangely, he didn’t have Juan Manuel Marquez on his list at all, and he got some strong votes for second place over here.

About Tim Starks

Tim is the founder of The Queensberry Rules and co-founder of The Transnational Boxing Rankings Board (http://www.tbrb.org). He lives in Washington, D.C. He has written for the Guardian, Economist, New Republic, Chicago Tribune and more.

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